


Where Tomorrow Happened Yesterday

by imma_redshirt



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Child Luke Skywalker, Force Ghost Obi-Wan Kenobi, Gen, Human Disaster Anakin Skywalker, Redemption
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-17 08:08:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29714202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imma_redshirt/pseuds/imma_redshirt
Summary: News of a holocron hidden on a remote planet draws two opposing forces to a temple submerged at the edge of a lake. But when the fight for the ancient artifact results in a crack in the Force, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader find themselves transformed as their younger selves.It’s bad enough that Vader is no longer recognizable to anyone under his command, but now his headstrong and reckless son is a 7 year old, still headstrong, still reckless, and still hell bent on guiding his father back towards the Light.
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Luke Skywalker, Luke Skywalker & Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Luke Skywalker
Comments: 9
Kudos: 116





	Where Tomorrow Happened Yesterday

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve played around with the timeline a lil’ bit so the “from a certain point of view” conversation after Yoda’s death takes place a little bit sooner.
> 
> Some dialogue borrowed from The Return of the Jedi.

The silence of Tehron Lake was broken by the sound of far off thunder. 

Luke stood on the lakeshore and watched the storm gathering on the horizon with a frown. When he’d first landed on the Outer Rim planet of E’ekal, the sky had been clear and the sun had been warm with not a single storm cloud in sight. But in the time it had taken him to trek down from the hill where he’d docked his X-wing on and reach the edge of the lake, the sun had fallen behind grey clouds that formed much too eagerly in the otherwise clear sky. 

The temperature had dropped as well, which was another reason why Luke had to move fast. 

At his side, Artoo gave a drawn out whistle that seemed to mirror Luke’s own feelings about the oncoming weather. For the moment, at least, they were both dry and sheltered by the blue-green canopy overhead, courtesy of the local oak-like trees that grew along the shoreline. Luke’s flight suit was also keeping most of the chill away, but even with the warm material, he wasn’t looking forward to getting caught in freezing rain after sunset.

“Just sit tight, Artoo,” Luke said. “Hopefully I won’t be long--can’t be too hard to find a holocron in this place, right?”

The droid let out a despondent garble that Luke personally translated as “so you SAY, but I know better by now, pal."

Luke laughed. “Ok, look, I _promise_ I won’t take too long. If I feel like the storm’ll reach us before I find the holocron, I’ll come back and we’ll go right up to that town on the hill to wait out the storm, how about that?”

He waved his hand in the direction of the hill directly adjacent to the one he’d landed his X-wing on. The domed roofs of a few dozen buildings were just visible through the treetops, seeming tiny at this distance, their round windows alight with a warm glow that almost convinced Luke to just find lodging there _now_ and then go searching for the holocron in derelict ruins when the sun was out again. But time was not a commodity he had the privilege to enjoy at the moment.

At Artoo’s affirmative chirp, Luke gave the blue and white droid an affectionate pat. “Alright, I’ll be back--soon. I promise. And,” he added cheerfully, “With a brand new holocron to study!”

Artoo made a string of beeps that let Luke know exactly what he thought about all of the holocrons they’d gone after. 

Luke honestly didn’t blame him for the attitude. It wasn’t the first time he and the droid had left on one of their Super Secret Jedi Missions in search of the mysterious artifacts (title courtesy of one Wedge Antilles,) and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. But each and every foray into some abandoned, booby-trapped temple or pile of ruins had brought Luke closer and closer to never making it back to the Rebellion and his friends, and it had left Artoo very unhappy each time. 

It had also left Leia very unhappy. 

But it was something that had to be done, and done alone.

Well, alone with his droid, anyway. Luke may have been able to avoid Leia sending a battalion of bodyguards along with him, but there was no way he would have been able to leave Artoo behind, lest the little droid follow on his own. 

But down into the ruins was one place Artoo couldn’t follow. With one hand on the saber hilt at his side, Luke carefully made his way across the lakeshore to the arc of dark stones that jutted out of the ground like the tip of a buried blade. Behind him, Artoo whistled unhappily to himself, the despondent sounds almost lost in the low rumble of thunder that seemed to grow closer with every passing second.

\-----------------

Lake Tehron was a closed body of water. It didn’t let out into any seas or oceans, but as Luke had flown his X-wing overhead earlier, he had seen some evidence of little streams that meandered down into it from the low hills that populated the area around the lake. At the moment, though, the streams were dry and the water level in the lake itself was lower than Luke had expected it would be. Walking towards the ruins was like walking over the mere memory of a lakebed--dry mud cracked under his boots, half-buried shells and the bones of long dead marine creatures peeked out from the ground here and there, and wilted lakeweed turned to dust when touched by a gust of wind. 

The edge of the water began some meters away. But even with the low water level, the lake was still an expansive thing, and Luke thanked the Force he’d been able to find the ruins as quickly as he did. 

When word of the holocron had reached Luke’s ears, he hadn’t known much about the far off planet of E’ekal and it’s strange, nearly dry lake. The Rebel spy who had told him of the planet had heard news of it from a friend of a friend of a friend of--well, the news had passed along many friends, apparently, but none of them had explicitly said there was a holocron hidden in the ruins of Tehron Lake, but only because none of them really knew what a holocron _was._

By now, Luke was familiar enough with the rare objects that he knew the rumored glowing artifact _had_ to be a holocron. But even if it wasn’t, he had to get to whatever it was before someone _else_ did.

The fact that the planet was also a prime location to house such an obscure item was a good sign--mysterious, out of the way, sparsely populated, and a bit of a pain to traverse. People didn’t often visit the place unless they punched the wrong coordinates into their navigation systems or had a real hankering for slow cooked water spangles and Tehran Lake bass.

While visitors spoke mostly of the tasty lake-inspired cuisine, they also sometimes spoke of strange structures that sat near the edge of the lake, visible only when the water was low enough, and covered in vibrant green vegetation.

Luke was staring at one now. The arc of dark stone had been apparent from the hill he’d landed on, and now that he was closer, he could see an opening in the ground between the two pillars of the arc. It was mostly obscured by emerald-green vines that grew across it and twined up the dark stones, which came to a point just a foot or two above Luke’s head. Buds of unopened flowers were flecked along the thin vines, and tiny, new leaves fluttered in the wind. The tangle of vines was a stark comparison to the dry, barren ground around the arc.

Thunder sounded nearby. Luke glanced over his shoulder. Artoo was where he had left him, sheltered under the trees near the base of the hill they’d landed on. Above him, the storm clouds were still far enough away that Luke thought he might have a chance to find the holocron before the storm reached them. He’d have to be fast--he didn’t like the idea of descending underground with an open entrance overhead, with rain on the way, and his less-than-stellar swimming skills. He had his aquata breather on hand, of course, but the thought of being submerged in anything deeper than a bacta tank was a little alarming.

He turned away from the storm and unclipped the lightsaber hilt from his belt. He had to move as quickly as possible. If he couldn’t find the holocron in time, then he’d at least be able to get an idea of the layout of whatever ruins lay beneath the lake and be ready to go exploring again the next day.

...if the place hadn’t completely flooded by then, that is.

He ignited his lightsaber and with two quick swipes, most of the vines fell away. The glow from the green blade alighted on steps that descended into a sort of rectangular tunnel, and they seemed to be made from the same material as the arc above. Luke couldn’t tell how far down the steps went, but he hoped they at least reached the bottom and he didn’t have to jump over any gaps or chasms. Not that he _couldn’t_ , but it would definitely slow him down, which wasn’t ideal.

Because the rain wasn’t the only thing he needed to outrun.

As if to prove his point, a voice spoke up behind him.

“You must know, Luke, if you’ve heard news of this holocron, then Vader certainly has as well.”

Luke looked up at the shimmering apparition that hadn’t been there five seconds ago and smiled. 

Ben Kenobi didn’t smile back. His translucent form instead watched Luke with an arched eyebrow and folded arms, his robes unbothered by the chill gust of wind that blew and ruffled Luke’s hair. 

Luke wasn’t surprised to see his mentor standing nearby. The old Jedi had been sporadically appearing in such a manner since the disaster at Bespin, making his presence known to Luke for only minutes at a time before disappearing again into the Force. Old Ben was only ever able to maintain a corporeal form long enough to offer bits of advice before some life-threatening event took place, and every so often he was apparently only there to make some very opinionated observation on whatever “brash” action Luke was about to attempt. 

His first appearance after Bespin had been the most distressing--from Ben’s brief lesson on truths and “certain points of view,” to Luke admitting that he would never be able to kill his father. It was the first time Luke had verbally admitted his inability--his _refusal_ \--to kill the Sith lord that was Anakin Skywalker. 

“Well,” Luke said, clipping the saber hilt back to his belt and instead pulling out a glowrod. “I don’t plan on being around when he gets here.”

“And if you _are_ around once he arrives?” Ben asked.

Luke shined the light into the opening and shrugged a shoulder as he took the first step down.

“I won’t be. But,” he added, “In the off chance that I am--well, he’s just going to have to find another holocron somewhere else, because I was here first.”

Ben didn’t sigh audibly, but Luke _swore_ he could feel the sigh in the Force.

\---------------

Despite his reassurances, Luke knew that Ben was absolutely right.

Chances were, if Luke was out searching for a holocron away from the Rebellion and Leia and his friends, then his obsessive Sith shadow was likely just a step behind.

He knew this because he’d unfortunately had quite a few close calls in the past. None quite so close as nearly being frozen in carbonite on Bespin, but close enough that Leia had threatened to assign him to permanent desk duty if he wasn’t more careful. In response Luke had promised to stay in contact during the six standard days he’d planned to be away, and he’d almost joked that it wasn’t totally fair that his own twin sister was threatening to ground him when they weren’t even sure who was the oldest.

He’d stopped himself, though, because he still hadn’t told her… well, anything.

Luke paused on the stone steps and frowned. The guilt of keeping their family ties secret still hung about him like the storm clouds closing in, but they were secrets that he couldn’t safely divulge just yet. If Vader ever got wind that he had another child, then Leia’s life would be in even more danger. 

Truth be told, he wasn’t a fan of having to keep that information from her as Obi-Wan and Yoda and even Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen had kept everything from him, but it really was the best option for the time being. At least until it was the right time. 

He wasn’t sure when that would be. Something in the Force told him soon, sooner than he’d expect, but there was nothing that told him when the right time would be to let anyone know who his father was.

He had a feeling the Rebellion wouldn’t be as accepting of the news as he had come to be.

Not that he had reacted well to first hearing the news himself. But as time had passed, he had come to accept it--and also accepted the fact that he could not kill his father. He still had much to learn of the Force, of Jedi and Sith, of the dark side and the light and the grey area between, but he _knew_ that there was still a chance for Anakin Skywalker. 

Refusing to kill his father of course didn’t mean that he was ready to be captured by the Sith himself just yet.

Resolute once again, Luke continued down the steps as quickly as he felt was safe. The pathway down was narrow and steep, the ceiling higher than the walls were wide, and the edges where all the sides met were straight and precise. Luke ran his flesh hand along the wall as he went and felt the rough texture of sandstone. Dust fell away under his palm and landed on the dark steps beneath his boots, where tiny versions of the same vines that grew on the arc at the entrance curled upwards from cracks in the stone.

It was also silent except for the sound of his own footfalls. He couldn’t even hear the thunder overhead. For a moment he considered retreating back up to the surface, but finally he reached the bottom, and the tunnel opened up into a dark chamber.

Luke held the glowrod higher. The light shone first on the floor, which was the same smooth dark stone as the steps and the arc, little vines sprouting from thin cracks that seemed to run straight down the center of the floor. The walls were sandstone, like the tunnel, but wasn’t nearly as smooth. There were wide cracks and crevices in these walls, and the same green vines spilled out of each one, climbing and curling along the sandstone with tiny, pink blossoms and round leaves. Luke didn’t know how the vines grew down here and kept their shade of bright green without any sunlight, but they seemed to thrive in the environment.

The chamber itself was only a few meters wide, but the roof was high above Luke’s head. He lifted the glowrod to peer up and felt a drop of cold water hit his brow. He wiped it off and felt another on the back of his hand, and another on his cheek, and in the glow of the glowrod he saw that the roof was covered in thick, tangled vines that hung down in spirals. The flowers that grew from these vines were in full bloom, swatches of pink and red in the sea of green, and droplets of water fell steadily from tangles of vines.

He must be under the center of the lake, he thought. 

He took a moment to wipe more droplets of water from his face then shined the light forward. There was a single arching doorway ahead. A thick wooden door lay on the floor, broken in two, vines almost completely concealing it. He kneeled for a closer look, fingers trailing down the splintered wood, frowning.

“That break was not made by a lightsaber.”

Luke jumped to his feet and spun around. Old Ben stood at the foot of the stairs, droplets of water falling right through his shimmering form, and tilted his head when Luke gave a breathless laugh. 

“Stars, you nearly gave me a heart attack,” Luke said. 

“Oh, I didn’t mean to frighten you,” Ben said, entirely unconvincingly. “You aren’t usually taken by surprise when I appear--well, not anymore, I should say.”

He was talking of course about the first few times he’d shown up to share his wisdom and how he’d managed to shock Luke every time. Which Luke thought had been completely understandable reactions--it was hard _not_ to be surprised when a shinning blue ghost began walking around where there’d only been empty air seconds before and started commenting on whatever Luke was doing.

“Well, you don’t usually show up again so soon,” Luke said, feeling just a little defensive. Obi-Wan had stayed where he was when Luke had started down the stairs and hadn’t followed, so Luke had assumed he’d disappeared back into the Force like he usually did. But here he was, walking forward to join Luke by the door, quirking an eyebrow as Luke waved a hand vaguely at him. “I didn’t think you could hold this form for very long.”

“Not usually,” Ben said. He was glancing around the chamber, rubbing a slow finger across his beard as he took in their surroundings. “But the Force is strong here.”

It was true. Luke could always feel the Force around him, even without trying, but here it felt as if the air thrummed with it. Closing his eyes, he reached out for the Force and let it flow through him--and it came easily like a steady stream of clear water. He could sense it in the age-old stone around him, in every vine and flower and droplet of water. He could feel Ben’s growing worry beginning to overshadow his ever-present good humor. 

The chamber seemed to echo with the Force somehow, reverberating between the cracks in the stone. That... was new. That was _strange._ Luke had never before experienced the Force like that. 

“Yes, I can feel it,” he said, slowly opening his eyes. His ears rang and a chill ran through him, as if the Force echoing in the chamber had bombarded him with actual noise for just a moment. “But it’s… strange. I’m not sure how to explain it. Have you ever experienced anything like this before?”

“I have not,” Ben said. He was frowning and staring down the hallway that stretched out before them from the doorway. “I wouldn’t recommend spending much time here, Luke.”

“I won’t,” Luke reassured him. Holding the light up again, he began to walk forward. “And now that we’re sure this door wasn’t broken by my father and that he’s not waiting somewhere up ahead, we can move on.”

“Don’t be so certain,” Ben said. He followed behind, which Luke was secretly relieved about--he appreciated the company in such a strange and silent place. “There is still a chance he may have arrived before you.”

“Can’t imagine he’d just let me walk all the way down here without doing anything,” Luke said. The hallway was nearly identical to the tunnel from earlier, except it cut straight ahead, and the ceiling was even lower. He reached up and dragged a finger along the sandstone overhead, feeling condensation and tiny vines eeking through thin cracks. “If it was a trap, he’d have sprung it already.”

“I’m sure there are many entrances to these ruins,” Ben said. “Just because you chose to use the most obvious one, doesn’t mean he did as well.”

Ok, so maybe Luke deserved the chiding tone. 

“I didn’t feel his presence nearby,” Luke said, not quite as convincing as he’d meant. The fact that the Force was strange here was now very worrying. Was it possible the echo he’d felt had masked his father’s presence?

“Neither did I,” Ben said. “But you yourself said the Force is strange here. I would not trust this place--the dark side may very well be twisting our perception, if it is present.”

“Okay,” Luke said. He paused and turned to face Ben. “If I don’t find the holocron within the next, say, thirty minutes--I’ll leave.” Ben gave him an unimpressed stare. “I will! I promise. It’s just--Ben, I can’t let him take this from me. If I’m ever to face the Emperor, I’m going to need all the knowledge of the Force that I can get.”

Ben heaved a sigh. “I understand. But you should not put your freedom at such risk for bits of knowledge.”

“It’ll be fine,” Luke said, continuing forward. “Like I said, thirty minutes--give or take a few.”

There was a sigh behind him. “Luke--”

Luke glanced over his shoulder to reassure Ben that he was joking--he really did plan to leave if he didn’t find the holocron soon. The storm had to be closer, and being trapped by rainwater in a narrow hall was not the way Luke wanted to die. But as he stepped forward, and his boot hit the ground right where a bundle of vines fought through the dark stone, his boot just kept falling and he tumbled forward.

Panic jolted through him. The rumble of falling rock echoed in the hall, and the floor fell away beneath him.

He realized, for the briefest of moments, that he hadn’t felt a warning in the Force that the floor was going to crumble because the ruins really were messing with his perception, and he probably should have listened to Ben--and then the rest of his thoughts were consumed by panic as he fell in a rain of stone and vines.

\-------------

Thankfully, the fall didn’t last long. At all.

Almost immediately he hit the ground with a splash. He groaned and pushed himself off the wet ground to find himself kneeling in clear, shallow water. Bits of stone still fell around him, splashing into the water that was alight from the glow of his glowrod that was floating some feet away. 

His side ached where he had hit the ground. Rubbing his shoulder, he glanced up and saw the jagged hole he had fallen through in the ceiling a few meters above. Thick, twisted vines concealed much of the stone ceiling, and some of the stone that had fallen had been caught in the vines and hung precariously overhead.

Moving carefully, mindful of his aching side, Luke stumbled to his feet and felt for his lightsaber. Thankfully the hilt was still clipped to his belt and he hadn’t fallen on it--which would have been _bad_ , he was sure--but his glowrod had fallen from his grip. It was floating away from him in the water, which was just about ankle deep.

And it was swarming with tadpoles. 

Luke stepped forward and a group of tiny wiggling creatures spread out and away from his boots before swarming back when he went still. He moved forward again, and again the tadpoles dispersed like puffs of smoke before surrounding him. 

Not the weirdest thing Luke had ever seen, but at this point he was so distrustful of the ruins that he was sure that millions of tadpoles was a significant sign--he just didn’t know _what._

“Well, Ben,” he said, wiggling one foot to watch the tadpoles swarm about. “I’d ask if you’re ok, but I’m not sure that Force ghosts can get hurt--wait, can they?”

There was no answer. Only the sound of dripping water and his own breathing.

He looked up again, hoping to maybe see Old Ben looking down through the hole disapprovingly at him, but there was only darkness. 

“Okay, until next time, I guess,” Luke muttered. It’s not like he wasn’t used to Ben disappearing so suddenly, but really had hoped his mentor would stay by his side until he was back on the surface. 

There was a soft _thunk_ of his glowrod hitting something. Looking ahead, Luke saw that light had floated right towards a stone pedestal that was dripping in vines.

And sitting right atop the pedestal was the holocron.

It was a cube that seemed to be made of translucent colored glass. Four sides were a vibrant green, and the last two that were parallel to each other were a pale shade of red. Balancing on one corner, it emitted a soft glow that gave gentle light to the vines curling beneath it. 

Relief flowed through him. Maybe falling through the floor hadn’t been terrible, after all, and had been more of a heavy handed hint from the Force.

With a laugh, Luke reached for the glowrod with the Force--and immediately regretted it.

The light smacked into his open palm just as that same strange echo from before reverberated around him. He shut his eyes against the strength of it, which was a great deal more than earlier, and waited for the strange thrumming sensation to subside.

Once again he was left with a shrill ringing in his ears. Grimacing, he shook his head, opened his eyes, and shined the light toward the pedestal.

Darth Vader stared back at him from the other side.

Luke choked on a curse. He took a startled step back, and as the ringing in his ears died out, he could finally hear the telltale mechanical breathing that had heralded the doom of so many Rebels.

Vader loomed near the pedestal. Behind him, Luke could see the entry to another sandstone hallway, likely where Vader had entered the watery chamber to find his son falling through a hole in the ceiling.

How could Luke have missed that looming presence? 

The blasted ruins, he thought, and the echoing in the Force. The ringing in his ears. The thrum that seemed to fill the ruins. As if the place itself had distracted him and hidden his father’s presence in the Force like the vines hiding the crumbling floor.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. They didn’t move. Luke wondered if Vader hadn’t yet acted because he too had been taken by surprise. Maybe his father wasn’t the only presence the ruins had hidden.

Finally, Vader spoke.

“Had I known you would be foolish enough to take the obvious path through the ruins, we would have left this treacherous place by now aboard the _Executor,_ ” he said. “And yet you have proven me wrong once again.” He paused, and Luke could sense a faint brush of cold amusement from the Sith. “Well done, my son.”

Luke fought down a rush of embarrassment and unclenched his jaw to say resolutely, “I won’t be leaving with you, father.”

Vader was silent for a moment before stepping forward. “So. You have accepted the truth.”

Luke’s eyes flicked to the holocron. His hand went to his lightsaber hilt, and he looked up to see Vader halt just feet from the pedestal. He could feel Vader’s gaze on him. Waiting.

He took one step towards the pedestal. “I’ve accepted the truth that you were once Anakin Skywalker.”

Vader moved forward a step, one gloved hand resting on the hilt at his side. Without even reaching for the Force, Luke could feel waves _determination_ radiating from the Sith lord. But Luke wasn’t going to let him steal him away to the Emperor’s side--and he wasn’t going to let him have the holocron, either.

There would be a time to turn his father to the light, but that time was not now.

“That name no longer has any meaning for me,” Vader said. He stepped forward again, closer.

Luke followed suit. The holocron was nearly in reach. “It is the name of your true self.” Vader breathed but didn’t respond. Luke pushed on. “You’ve only forgotten. I _know_ there is good in you.”

His father didn’t move. He watched Luke through the glow of the holocron, and Luke stared back. Carefully, gently, he reached for the Force. The thrumming around him grew, and the echo started like a vague sensation in the back of his mind, but he held the Force just long enough to feel the pulse of hesitation.

“Your resolution is useless,” Vader finally said, even as Luke held on to that thread of hope--his father was conflicted. “You do not know the power of the dark side--”

“I know that there is still a chance for you,” Luke said. He stepped forward again, his intentions now on his father rather than on the glowing artifact between them. “Father--come with me. Together we can--”

“You will be brought to the Emperor,” Vader said, his raised voice effectively cutting through Luke’s words like a swift strike from a saber. “And you will turn to the dark side.”

Luke fought the surge of dismay rising in his chest. “No.”

Vader stepped forward, the glow of the holocron casting shadows that seemed to cling to him as he loomed over both the artifact and his son. “Together we will destroy him.”

Automatically stepping back, Luke shook his head. “Father--”

“And rule in his place, as father and son.”

This time it was Luke who remained silent. He was further from the holocron than Vader was now, and somehow farther from helping Anakin Skywalker turn away from the dark side. He set his jaw and ignored the dismay that continued to threaten to overwhelm him. 

“I won’t.”

Vader moved ever closer. “You have no choice.”

Something flickered in the Force.

At the brief warning, Luke threw a hand out towards the holocron just as Vader reached out for it. Luke had hoped the holocron would fly right into his open palm, but as he pulled at it with the Force, Vader pulled back. The holocron trembled on it’s pedestal as both Force users tried to pry it from the other’s invisible grip.

The Force thrummed around them. It echoed with reverberations so strong that Luke gritted his teeth against the sensation, fighting the urge to release the Force just so the echo would _stop._ Across from him, Vader’s grasping hand began to clench, and the holocron inched closer to him.

 _No._ Luke pulled further on the Force. The thrumming was inside his head now. His eyes watered and burned but he didn’t shut them, not with his father so near. All he had to do was snatch the holocron and run and the thrumming would end, as long as he didn’t use the Force until he was out of the ruins.

He felt a surge of _anger_ and _pride_ and _annoyance_ in the Force before Vader stepped closer and clenched his fist. 

The holocron flew through the air towards him.

Luke pulled further on the Force, fear driving him forward. The holocron began to tumble back across the pedestal, and one of the green, translucent faces of the cube hit the pedestal’s surface.

The face shattered, and the Force _cracked._

Luke’s vision went white. He fell back from the holocron and hit the shallow water with a gasp, the thrumming in his head replaced by that same resounded _crack_ as he curled in on himself against it. He threw his hands over his ears to keep the sound out, but it only grew louder until it was all that he knew, all he could feel, and then--

It stopped. 

There was silence.

And Luke felt a wave of relief at the quiet before the Force pulled his conscious deep under, until he knew nothing but the dark of a dreamless sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I promise it only gets crazier from here on out.


End file.
